eftimable benefit, to avoid every thing inconfiftent with the glorious liberty of the fons of God, and to endeavour to preserve a treasure so dearly purchased. Frequently review this wonderful fubject, attentively think of the astonishing kindness of the compaffionate Saviour, who accomplished the arduous work of setting free his Church from the law of fin and death, that they might have their fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life.

4. For thus faith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to fojourn there, and the Affyrian oppreffed them without caufe.

The circumftances mentioned in these words, the oppreffed condition of God's people, ferve to fhew the worth and neceffity of the redemption fpoken of in the foregoing verfe. The pofterity of Ifrael, whom God had chofen for his peculiar people, went down into the land of Egypt at an early period, not to occupy that country, but merely as ftrangers to fojourn, and there they were most unjustly and cruelly afflicted; notwithstanding the prefervation of the Egyptians from the terrible effects of famine, was, under God, to be attributed to Jofeph, one of the fons of Ifrael. The Affyrians and Chaldeans afterward, though they could affign no good reason for their conduct, inflamed by the luft of conquest and domination, fubdued, and then treated them with unrelenting severity. From all the hardships which they fuffered, the Lord God, who delivers the needy when they call upon him, was mercifully pleased to extricate them. The miferies they endured, not only afforded occafions for the exercife of Divine compaffion, but exhibited an inftructive reprefentation of the forlorn spiritual flate to which the Church was reduced prior to the appearance of the loving kindness of God our Saviour, who delivered them VOL. IV. H

from

from a worse than Egyptian bondage, from a worfe than Affyrian captivity.

5. Now therefore, what have I here, faith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them, make them to howl, faith the Lord, and my name continually every day is blafphemed.

The neceffity of the redemption of the Church is further urged, from the diftreffing circumftances in which they were involved. The fubject is introduced by an enquiry, which is fo ftated, as plainly intimates, that the Lord God, deeply interested in the welfare of those who were fuftaining accumulated diftreffes, was greatly displeased with the view of their afflictions and oppreffions, their captivity and fervitude, which he was determined no longer to tolerate. Two things relative to their ftate are mentioned, which evince the deplorable condition of the people of God, wherein it was inconfiftent with the honour and the grace of Jehovah, that they should be permitted much longer to remain. The firft is thus expreffed-They that rule over them, make them to bowl. The princes of Egypt, the kings of Affyria, the Roman emperors, with thofe who, in the figurative fenfe, had ufurped dominion over them, are doubtless the rulers here intended. By their rigorous oppreffion, and tyrannical authority, they had reduced the fervants of God to very miferable circumftances, and gave them occafion to howl and lament. Such was the grievous bondage of the posterity of Ifrael in Egypt, that their cry reached unto heaven; fuch was their forlorn ftate of captivity at Babylon, that they fat and wept, hanging their harps upon the willows; fcattered abroad, in confequence of the cruel feverity of the Roman emperors, they were called to weep and howl for the calamities that were come upon them. Efpecially do the spiritual oppreff

ors

ors of the Church give them manifold occafions of grief and mourning, so that, with the royal Prophet, they exclaim, How are our foes increased, how long fhall ' our enemies triumph over us? O that the falvation ' of Ifrael were come out of Zion.'-Befides, at the period to which our prophet efpecially refers, the Scribes and Pharifees, the priests and rulers among the Jews, with the public teachers, made the upright fervants of God to cry with forrow, by their futile inftructions, their unprofitable difputes, their hypocritical devotions, deftitute of the fpirit of true religion. Whilft they inculcated ftrict fubjection to the yoke of the law, and the rigid obfervances of ceremonies and traditions, they overlooked the gracious promises recorded in the Scriptures, from whence affiftance and true confolation could be derived. How ftriking the contrast betwixt the comely appearance of those who publish falvation, and the rulers of God's people, who caufe them to howl.

And my name continually every day is blafphemed. The name of God denotes the glorious attributes, the amiable characters afcribed to him in the Scriptures of truth. This name, he affirms, was blafphemed, reproached, and evil spoken of; the glory due to it was detracted from, and obfcured in various ways, particularly by thofe who ufurped authority over his people, and grievously oppreffed them. The crime mentioned was greatly aggravated, by its having been conftantly and daily committed, perpetrated by fome profane perfons, not merely on fome extraordinary occafions, but the deteftable practice was obftinately perfifted in by those who adopted it, notwithstanding every remonftrance made to the contrary. The apoftle Paul defcribing, in the fecond chapter of his epistle to the Romans, the character of the principal men and teachers among the Jews, by whofe wicked lives God was difhonoured, whilst they inculcated fome important duties upon the people, and made their boaft of the law, has thefe remarkable

remarkable words. 'Through them the name of 'God is blafphemed among the Gentiles,' as it is written; probably referring to the words before us, or to Ezek. xxxvi. 20, 23.-Such was the deplorable ftate of the Church, at the time whereof Ifaiah speaks in this paffage; a state which God in mercy declares he would not allow much longer to fubfift, but that he would interpofe for their deliverance. To this alarming condition were they actually reduced, before the appearance of Jefus Chrift in human nature, by the Jewish doctors, who, by the heavy burdens they laid on the people, which they would not touch with one of their fingers, caufed them bitterly to lament over the intolerable oppreffions they fuftained.

6. Therefore my people fhall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day, that I am he that doth fpeak, behold, it is I.

One happy effect is here specified, which was to refult from the redemption of God's people.--Therefore (faith Jehovah) my people fhall know my name. From the time wherein I will accomplish their deliverance, I will reveal myself more clearly to them; in confequence of which they fhall become more intimately acquainted with my perfections, character, and falvation, and more firmly established in the faith and obedience of the truth, than in times past. This prediction must be fo underftood, as to accord with the interpretation given of the preceding verfes. If the deliverance there fpoken of is confidered literally, in reference to the liberation of the Ifraelitish church from bondage in Egypt, and captivity at Babylon, the words before us import, that from thefe memorable periods the glory and grace of Jehovah were to be more illuftriously displayed, and better known by his fervants, than hitherto they had been. If the redemption chiefly intended by our prophet be the great falvation obtained for mankind by the

Meffiah,

Meffiah, the expreffion under confideration plainly intimates, that after the fulness of time, wherein he appeared who was to manifeft the name of Jehovah, his character and gracious defigns were to be more clearly known than under the former difpenfation. Then he revealed himself by the name of God Almighty, of Jehovah, of the Lord God merciful and gracious, the God of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, who rescued their pofterity from bondage in Egypt, and from captivity in Affyria. Now he makes himfelf known as the God who is love, the Father of mercies, the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Christ, and through him the God and Father of all that believe in his name.

Therefore they fhall know in that day that I am, &c. In the writings of the Old Teftament, the time fixed for the redemption of the Church from the hands of their enemies, that they may ferve him without-fear, in holiness and righteoufnefs, is fometimes specified by the words here ufed, In that day. The Lord their God (faid the prophet Zechariah) fhall fave them in that day, as the flock of his people *; referring, 1 fuppofe, to the fame happy period which is intended in this prophecy; then the word of falvation was to be published by the Lord himself, the Angel of the covenant, and the Church were to be fully fatisfied, by the most convincing evidences, that he who fpake by the prophet Ifaiah did in perfon immediately addrefs them. Then they fhall know that it is he that doth speak, of whom Mofes and the prophets did write, who is the only-begotten fon of God, the great Inftructor, Redeemer, and Lord of the Church, that was to come into the world.-That it is he who is the light of the world, the good fhepherd, the way, the truth, and the life, who preaches good tidings of great joy. Then they fhall behold God himself, manifeft in the flesh, prefent among them, converfing with them, teaching the way of falvation, and accomplishing the redemption of his people. By this

*Chap. ix. 16,

prediction